PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Edgar Figaro (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Sakuraba Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Gracie's choice of entrance music: Gimme Shelter. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Figaro
vs
Gracie

180 cm
27
185 lbs
9 - 3 - 0

180 cm
28
194 lbs
10 - 12 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Solid boxing
Very strong

Powerful takedowns
Decent boxing
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 9 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Edgar Figaro!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 12 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Sakuraba Gracie!
The judges for this bout are Felipe Paraventi, Paulo Santos and Leandro Rodrigues.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gracie lands a nice hook to Figaro's body. Figaro takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Gracie looks for a takedown but Figaro sprawls well.
Gracie fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Figaro manages to avoid it.
Sakuraba Gracie seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Figaro changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Gracie looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Gracie tries to bench press Figaro off him but Figaro keeps the position.
Figaro wants to control but Gracie is keeping him busy.
Figaro throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Figaro in side control lands a decent elbow.

Figaro is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Gracie knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Gracie gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Gracie has hold of Figaro's hands but Figaro slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.

Figaro seems to be looking for submissions.
Figaro thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Figaro takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Figaro trying to control from half guard but Gracie is working away.
Figaro trying to mount his opponent but Gracie defends it.
Gracie is trying to get back to full guard.
Figaro trying to pass the guard but Gracie defending well.

Gracie looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Gracie misses with a takedown attempt

and Figaro counters with a nice double leg into side control. Gracie won't be happy with that.
Figaro tries to advance to mount but can't.
Figaro wants to lay and pray for a moment but Gracie keeps working.
Gracie is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Figaro lands an elbow.
Figaro has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Figaro wants to lay and pray for a moment but Gracie keeps working.
Check out the look on Figaro's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Gracie manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Gracie wants to improve his position but Figaro is controlling well.

Gracie looking for submissions off his back.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Gracie looks gassed!
Figaro working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Figaro throwing shots but Gracie is blocking nicely.
Figaro looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Gracie with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Figaro trying to control from half guard but Gracie is working away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Figaro working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Figaro trying to mount his opponent but Gracie defends it.
Figaro scores with a couple of good hammerfists.

Figaro is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Gracie defends it well.
Figaro moves into full mount! Gracie won't be happy about that!
Gracie is in all sorts of trouble here.
Figaro controlling the pace for now.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Gracie keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A nice elbow there by Figaro.
Figaro trying to control but he's not successful this time.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Figaro cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Figaro postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Gracie looks a forlorn figure.
Gracie is working to get back to half guard.
Gracie is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Figaro with a couple of short strikes.
Figaro punishing his opponent with strikes.
Gracie is working to get back to half guard.
Figaro unloading with bombs!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Gracie is squirming around, avoiding Figaro's attempts to control the action.

Figaro wants to finish this one by submission but Gracie is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Figaro.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Edgar Figaro dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Gracie.
Gracie swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.

Figaro closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Gracie tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Figaro wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

Figaro is trying to get an arm triangle but Gracie is defending well.
Figaro tries to move into full mount but can't pass Gracie's legs.
Gracie gets back to half guard.

Gracie looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Edgar Figaro overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Figaro sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Gracie is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Gracie is defending against the submission attempts here by Figaro.
Gracie is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Figaro's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Figaro's back!

Gracie is working hard for the rear naked choke here.
Figaro trying to control the action but Gracie just sinks the hooks in.
Figaro manages to reverse the position and now he's in Gracie's guard. Nice work there by Figaro.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Figaro's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Figaro with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Figaro wants to control from the top but Gracie keeps moving.
Figaro tries to free his leg and advance position but Gracie is retaining full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Figaro wants to control from the top but Gracie keeps moving.

Gracie working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Figaro doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Figaro manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Figaro content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Figaro scoring with some ground and pound.
Figaro preventing the sweep.
Figaro lands a couple of digs.
Gracie preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Figaro advances to half guard.
Figaro slips a nice elbow through Gracie's hands, connecting with Gracie's forehead.
Figaro working over Gracie with some ground and pound. Gracie looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Gracie is trying to get back to full guard.
Figaro is keen to just control but Gracie is a slippery customer.

Gracie looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Gracie looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Figaro slips a nice elbow through Gracie's hands, connecting with Gracie's forehead.
Figaro working over Gracie with some ground and pound. Gracie looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Figaro trying to control from half guard but Gracie is working away.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Figaro clobbers Gracie with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Figaro uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Gracie.

Figaro darts in and clinches Gracie up against the cage.

Figaro drags the fight down to the ground.
Figaro wants to stand and escape but Gracie is having none of it.
Figaro manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Figaro working the ground and pound effectively.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Figaro looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
A nice elbow there by Figaro.
Gracie working to try and regain half guard.
Figaro lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Figaro has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Gracie's face.
Figaro working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Figaro is landing with some decent strikes but Gracie is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Figaro lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Figaro postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Gracie looks a forlorn figure.

Gracie is rocked!
Gracie is bucking up trying to escape but Figaro cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Gracie is still in real trouble! Can Figaro finish him?
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Figaro with shots to the head and body - Gracie looks very uncomfortable down there.
Figaro lands a big shot there that rocks Gracie but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Figaro cracks Gracie with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Figaro postures up and throws a couple of big shots that have Gracie in real trouble here! The ref calls for Gracie to improve his position which he doesn't do, so the referee has no choice but to end the fight due to the strikes!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:56 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Edgar Figaro!